Tonights Dinner

I've got my salad all ready, still in the colander, so I don't dirty another bowl...yes, I will admit it. I am lazy that way!

Just romaine, edamame, carrots, celery, and tomatoes.

I like to keep my salmon simple. White wine, lemon, pepper, sea salt and whatever herb I have on hand. Tonight it is cilantro.  Either bake it, or better yet, cedar plank it on the BBQ.

I looked  in my fridge and my peppers were starting to lose their crispness, so I decided to stuff them with a black bean, rice and green pepper mixture, with Costa Rico Salsa, and cheddar cheese, to grill as well...

Eggplant!

I'm on an EGGPLANT kick right now....such a great fruit ( nope, it isn't a vegetable, it's a fruit!) crazy eh? I just learned that today. I was doing some research on it, as I think it is a pretty good fruit to include in meals on a regular basis.


How interesting it is that the Eggplant is actually a close relative of the tobacco plant! Even with the many varieties of Eggplant available, it is the purple Eggplant which is supplied to most major supermarkets.

It's full of fiber which helps with weight loss, full of good for you nutrients and I am finding that it is a good replacement for lasagna noodles.   It's great grilled, roasted on sandwiches and made into dips.

Eggplant Calories - 1 cup of cubed eggplant contains 20 calories.

1 unpeeled eggplant that is approximate 1 1/4 pounds contains about 132 calories.
1 peeled eggplant that is approximate 1 1/4 pounds contains about 110 calories.

Eggplant makes an ideal substitute for meat. To add a bit of texture, slice, then dip into a slightly beaten egg white OR egg substitute that contains both yolk and white. Dredge the eggplant in flour, then cook until golden brown and crispy in a pan that has been sprayed generously with non stick cooking spray.

Cover with your favorite marinara sauce if desired and add a bit of grated Parmesan cheese.

Eggplant also makes a great sandwich on bread that has been toasted to a golden crust.


So, have you eaten YOUR eggplant today!?

Edamame- my new favourite vegetable appetizer!

I ordered this at the Pickle Barrel. Steamed Soybeans still in their pods, sea salt and drizzled with an Asian sauce.  It is from Japan, and a common Japanese appetizer to drink with beer and watch sports! OK, no  wonder they are in great shape over there? No wings or nachos? SOYBEANS instead?  well...now I know why!

I will admit, I wasn't sure how to eat them at first?  But after working on them a bit, my daughter and I figured it out. You pick one up, hang onto the end with the tail, and slide them through your teeth inside your mouth. All the yummy, steamed, delicious soybeans pop out!  So simple, but so delicious and addicting. We ate the entire plate!  About 60 of them! lol

Ingredients


1 pkg (1 lb/500 g) edamame 1 1pkg (1 lb/500 g) pkg (1 lb/500 g)edamame

1 tsp salt , (sea salt if available)1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) salt, (sea salt if available)

Preparation:

Bring pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Add edamame and salt ; return to boil and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well and transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired. Serve warm or cold. Pull apart pods and eat like fresh peas.



Nutritional Value


In just a half-cup serving of the shelled edamame, or in 1 1/8 cup of the pods, you get a snack that is low in calories and high in fiber, with a trace of healthy fats. One serving packs 11 g of complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids. That much protein in a plant-based source is a vegetarian's dream. It also provides 9 g of fiber. That's more fiber than you find in the fiber bars in the breakfast aisle. It also contains 10 percent of your daily values of vitamin C and iron, 8 percent of your daily dose of vitamin A and 4 percent of calcium. It also serves as a source of vitamin K and folate.







 

YUM!!! Bet you can't just eat one!

Asparagus

It's in season right now, and such a delicious vegetable that you can SO much with.

How about these?

 Filled with provolone cheese, wrapped in proscuitto, drizzled with lemon and balsamic....fasten with toothpicks. GRILL.

courtesy of tasteofBBQ.com

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

I also made this the other day...I took it to a luncheon party and served it in small squares. A huge hit. Courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Ingredients


Flour, for work surface

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2.Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash- My favourite new vegetable!

 looks like this in the grocery store.

buy it!

Prick it all over- microwave for 3 minutes. Rest for 5.

Cut it open and bake for an hour. Just by itself. No butter needed.

Then shred it out with a fork and you have the MOST amazing subsitution for the spaghetti noodle.

 I love it so much, that I PREFER the squash version over the real pasta.

Heck! You don't even need to dirty a bowl...this is cute.

 You can do ALL sorts of fun stuff with Spaghetti squash....casseroles, side dishes, vegetable dishes, etc...

anything that normally involves a pasta...use SPAGHETTI SQUASH! instead. Yum!